Correctional Centre

By Hadiza Abdulkadir

At least six inmates have died within a week following a suspected cholera outbreak at the 115-year-old Kurmawa Maximum Prison in Kano, with Amnesty International Nigeria calling on the authorities to declare an emergency and take immediate action to prevent further deaths.

The rights organisation said a number of inmates are currently receiving treatment as the suspected disease continues to spread within the prison. It warned that the actual number of deaths could be higher.

Amnesty particularly raised concern over the condition of critically ill inmates and called for their immediate transfer to hospitals for appropriate medical treatment.

The organisation also expressed concern about the large number of awaiting-trial inmates held at the facility, noting that some prisoners can spend years behind bars without being convicted of a crime.

According to Amnesty, overcrowding, poor sanitation, inadequate food and limited access to healthcare remain serious problems in Nigeria’s correctional facilities.

It warned that failure by the authorities to respond urgently to the situation at Kurmawa Prison could result in additional deaths and potentially amount to arbitrary deprivation of life, a serious human rights violation under international law.

Amnesty called for urgent measures to contain the suspected outbreak and improve conditions in Nigerian prisons, stressing the need for the country to ensure that the treatment of inmates complies with human rights obligations and international standards.

By Sumayyah Auwal Ishaq

No fewer than 11 inmates at the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Kaduna, Kaduna State, graduated from the National Open University of Nigeria in various disciplines.

The inmates, who received their certificates at the convocation ceremony organized by the institution on October 16, 2024, were pronounced graduates after completing their various programs for the 2022/2023 academic session.

They comprised 11 males who had undertaken courses in the Post Graduate Diploma in Education and undergraduate degrees. The Daily Reality gathered that seven inmates graduated with Second Class Upper Division, while two graduated with Second Class Lower Division, and two inmates completed the Post Graduate Diploma in Education.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Vice Chancellor, who was represented by Dr. Baba, praised the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) and the management of the facility for giving the inmates such an opportunity. He said such feats should be emulated by other inmates who have yet to undertake any program with the institution.

The Controller of Kaduna State Command, Nuru Mohammed Isah, advised other inmates to seize the opportunity and maximize their time by emulating their graduating colleagues.

Mr Isah also emphasized the role of the NCoS in reforming inmates. He implored the newly graduated inmates to continue embodying the good values they learned during their time in the correctional facility.

The officer in charge, DC Abdullahi Dangani, promised to continue giving support to all inmates to achieve their aspirations in life.

By Aminu Muhammad

The Nigerian Police Force’s Kaduna State command has announced the re-arrest of Ali Shuaibu, 60, a suspected prison escapee from Kuje.

According to a statement made by Mohammed Jalige, the command’s public relations officer, Shuaibu, who was on his way to Kano State, was detained.

The Kano State native admitted that he was one of around 800 prisoners that fled the Kuje Correctional Center in Abuja when terrorists raided the prison, according to a police official.

The police statement reads, “Sequel to the Commissioner of Police Kaduna Command’s directive to all tactical commanders and Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) to mount purposeful surveillance across all inlets to Kaduna State in response to the recent infamous Kuje Jail break as instructed by the Inspector General of Police, the operatives without prejudice to existing crime prevention measures, responded effectively which has started yielding a positive result with the arrest of a suspected escapee on the 17th July 2022 at about 1930hrs.

“The suspect, one Ali Shuaibu 60yrs of age and an indigene of Kano State, was apprehended by the police operatives at a location in Kaduna, while on transit to Kano based on active intelligence.

“The suspect on preliminary investigation revealed that he is part of the inmates who escaped during the recent attack on the Kuje medium security correctional centre.

“The Commissioner of Police, Kaduna Command, Yekini A. Ayoku, directed that necessary protocols be carried out before handing the suspect over to the Nigerian Correctional Service for proper placement.

“He further tasked officers not to relent in their effort to effectively tackle all forms of crimes and criminality in all critical areas of the state.”

By Uzair Adam Imam 

An official of Goron Dutse Correctional Centre in Kano, who is yet to be identified, has gunned down a trader for refusing to give him a stick of cigarette. This development shocked people around. 

The Daily Reality gathered that the bullet fired at the trader went through his stomach and later hit another person on the leg.

The trader was confirmed dead after reaching the Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital, where the two victims were rushed to. 

It was gathered that there had been a misunderstanding between the two persons after the trader refused to sell the cigarette to the officer; which made him angry. 

According to a witness who spoke to the Daily Trust, “We can’t really say, but, it seemed like the officer was owing the trader and this time around, he refused to sell to him, which triggered his response as he suddenly shot him.”

Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, the Kano Police Public Relations Officer, confirmed the incident. 

He added that the police were still trying to ascertain the identity of the slain trader.

By Abdullahi A Alkasim

Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Kano State frees 3,717 inmates of Correctional Centres in Kano from 2015 to 2021, all in an effort to decongest these Centres, as requested by President Muhammadu Buhari a few years back. The President urged state governors to help decongest Correctional Centres nationwide.

He made the disclosure when he received, in a courtesy call, members of the Presidential Committee on Correctional Centres Reform and Decongestion, at his office, Thursday, under the Chairmanship of Justice Ishaq Bello.

“President Muhammadu Buhari thought it right when he called for the decongestion of our Correctional Centres. Looking at the happenings in those Centres. That, we should respect life and we should have hope in our inmates,” he stated.

He disclosed that “We adopted two major strategies to answer the call of President Muhammadu Buhari, for decongesting Correctional Centres.

We put in place the Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy, under which we release inmates two times a year. All during Sallah festivities. Sallah-El-Fitr and Sallah-El-Kabir. So far we have released 3,717 inmates from 2015 to date.

We paid for them, fees they were not able to pay that landed them in those Centres. We also give them transport money after they regained freedom. We recruit some of them in the state civil service.

We are also keen on the administration of justice. Many at times it is not all about releasing those inmates, but we still have a greater percentage of those in these Centres as awaiting trials individuals.”

Justice Bello, who led the Committee, commended governor Ganduje’s “…demonstration of interest and passion when it comes to issues of justice.”

Explaining to the governor, “We have gotten into files and received cases today when over 28 people regained freedom.”

“Furthermore it is crucial to mention that with the support of the Kano state government, the Committee was able to secure the release of about 368 inmates from various correctional centres in Kano state at the of the first visit,” he disclosed.